Yakuza Developer's Next Game Looks To Be Yakuza After All

It may not have Yakuza (or Like A Dragon) in the title, but the latest trailer for developer Ryu Ga Gotoku’s Stranger Than Heaven appears to have confirmed it’s set in the same universe.

As part of a recent Xbox Partner Preview, a new trailer for Stranger Than Heaven revealed the game will take place in Japan across five different time periods and cities. Starting in 1915, the trailer flashes between different decades and locations until reaching 1965. It’s there the trailer reveals a landmark that is immediately identifiable to fans of Ryu Ga Gotoku’s Yakuza franchise–the red gate to Kamurocho, the fictional Tokyo neighborhood based on the real-life Kabukicho that is the central location for most of the Yakuza games.

That Stranger Than Heaven is connected to the Yakuza series isn’t all that surprising. Both put an emphasis on bloody hand-to-hand combat and deal with the Japanese criminal underworld. It also won’t be the first Ryu Ga Gotoku game to not feature Yakuza in name but basically be one at heart. In 2018, Ryo Ga Gotoku released Judgment, a Yakuza spin-off starring a detective that took place in Kamurocho. It received a sequel, Lost Judgment, in 2021.

Fans over on places like the Yakuzagames subreddit are already trying to dissect what it all means. One post notes that the main criminal faction in the series, the Tojo Clan, was founded sometime in the 1960s or ’70s, making it possible Stranger Than Heaven could be an origin story of sorts for the Yakuza universe’s main crime family. Others are theorizing players might get to play as Yakuza protagonist Kazuma Kiryu’s father.

That’s all speculation for now, but it seems clear Ryu Ga Gotoku is looking to make some connections to the Yakuza franchise, though how far those connections will reach remains to be seen. The last mainline entry in the series, Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth, released in 2024. A spin-off, Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza In Hawaii, released in 2025, with a remake of Yakuza 3 arriving earlier this year.

Those wanting more details about Stranger Than Heaven won’t have to wait too long. During the Xbox Partner Preview, it was announced Stranger Than Heaven will be receiving its own dedicated spotlight presentation on May 6–one that will shine a light on the game’s cast (which appears to include rapper Snoop Dogg), music, and combat.

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